Rainbow Ruffled Tablecloth (sewing project 1/50)

Goal #66 on my 101 in 1001 list is to sew 50 projects. I've completed my first project since making the list!

A Rainbow Ruffled Tablecloth for my friend's daughter's birthday party!

I missed the party because of our move, but my friend sent me this picture so I could see the tablecloth in action. I think it turned out great, and her dessert display was super cute, too! What do y'all think?

Birthday Shout-Out!!

Happy Birthday to my amazing little sister, Kristen!  I cannot believe my baby sister is 24 today.

At her graduation last June - so proud of my favorite nurse.

She will always be six years old in my eyes.

Yep, that's about right.

I love you, Poodle!!!  Hope you're having fun celebrating in Miami!!

House Hunt Complete!

I just signed the lease and we are all set to move in this weekend! Woohoo!

Cute house, right?

Half Marathon SWAG

SWAG = Stuff We All Get... just ask Michael Scott:



I got a good amount of SWAG at the half marathon last week, which is always nice.  Gotta love all the free stuff.. or rather, all of the stuff that is included in your race entry fee!  Andrew had registered to run the race also, but ended up not running it - but since the race fee was nonrefundable (most races are like this) and he had already paid, he also collected all of his pre-race SWAG. 

At the expo the day before the race, we got this goodie bag/drawstring backpack.

Inside of the bag, I found my race number and basically just a bunch of papers about other half marathons in the area.  Nothing too exciting.

Except for the race shirt, which was exciting.  It's a really nice technical running shirt.

As we walked around the expo, we collected a couple of samples of granola bars and Larabars.

They were also giving out Chobani Greek yogurts - which are delicious - and I tried the blood orange flavor, since I hadn't had that one before.  It was really good.

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Since Publix was the main sponsor of the race, they had set up a mini grocery store display, where they were giving out samples of juice, crackers, bread, and chips & salsa.  We got a good little snack there before we headed out of the expo.

I got a few more SWAG items as soon as I crossed the finish line, I was given my medal, a water bottle, a towel, and a heat blanket.  I downed the water and tossed the heat blanket (it was 80 degrees out, after all), but held on to the little workout towel.  And I kept the medal, of course.

Let's zoom in on that medal, shall we?

I also got a chocolate milk across the finish line, since that's a great post-workout drink.  And I was given this "lunch" from the food tent, but I didn't eat it until later that afternoon.

Finally, as we were walking back to the hotel, the Muscle Milk truck was parked on the street along the way, and the lady gave me a chocolate flavored Muscle Milk, which I drank.  This was a bad idea.  I think I should have had either the chocolate milk OR the Muscle Milk, but definitely not both.  My digestive system was not pleased with my inability to turn down free stuff.

But aside from the free stomach-ache that I also ended up receiving, I'd say I got some pretty good stuff.

Looks can be deceiving

The house hunt is on! I saw two houses yesterday in one area, and I'm checking out a different area today. It's going well so far!

Of the two I saw yesterday, one is a serious contender, and then there was the other...

It looks perfectly nice from the outside, but the inside was straight up 70's. Shag rugs, flower power wallpaper, and all.

It's funny, because I could tell I've been watching a lot of HGTV, since as I walked through, I kept thinking "they should do this, and update that, and take down that wall..."

House Hunting!

Today I begin the hunt for our new home in North Carolina! 

Andrew stayed in Columbus for one more week to take care of administrative stuff the Army needs to process our move, and I headed up on my own to get our house rented so that he can meet me there with all of our stuff.  I'm staying with some family friends in the area, so it worked out really well to do it this way.

Keep your fingers crossed that I find the perfect (or near perfect, since it is a rental) place for us!

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Recipe Recap: Caribbean Broccoli Chicken Salad and Golden Fruit Bread

When the weather is hot, the last thing that I want to do is make and/or eat a hot meal.  In the summer (and in summer-y weather), I love salads and other colder meals for dinner.  I am so glad that I came across this recipe to add to my spring/summer go-to list, since it was amazing.

Caribbean Broccoli Chicken Salad and Golden Fruit Bread (recipe online here)

This is a Publix Aprons recipe that they happened to be sampling when I went to the store to pick up something for dinner.  My original plan was a cobb salad, but when I tried this it was love at first bite.  I had to make it for dinner.  So I did.  And I plan to make it for many more dinners to come, since it was fantastic. 

Andrew loved it too.  We both randomly kept exclaiming "Mmmm!" throughout the entire meal, it was that good.  It was also filling.  And healthy.  An all-around win.

Moving

We're moving this weekend!!

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This means that for the next week or so, I'll be coming at you via iPhone and mobile blogger.  Plus, I have some posts already lined up to share.  I set a goal to blog every day this year, and I'm not going to let moving (or disconnecting the Internet) get in the way of that!

I'm already looking forward to blogging about our new house (once we find it) and all of the adventures that are in store for us in North Carolina!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Hunger Games Tonight!!!

I am SO excited to go see The Hunger Games tonight.  I read the books a while ago and was instantly hooked.  They just draw you in.  Andrew read them earlier this month and he was just as into them as I was.

We pre-ordered our tickets last week, and tonight at 7:30pm, we will be watching this!



I can't wait.  Anyone else out there seeing this movie tonight?

My Recommendation: If you haven't read the books yet, I'd suggest doing that first.  They are SO GOOD, especially if you don't already know the story.

Avery Gets Her Recognition

I have mentioned that my dog Avery is my running partner.  She loves it!  She did all of the half marathon training with me, including the 10 mile long run, and still had energy to spare.

Dogs can't enter half marathons (or at least not the one that I ran), but if they had been able to, Avery would have definitely finished.  She put in the same amount of hard work that I had to prepare for the race.  So when I got home, I let her wear the medal for a little while.

She enjoyed basking in all of the glory.

What I'm Loving Wednesday & Oh, How Pinteresting!

Time for my favorite link-ups with this kind of love for WILW and The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting!

First, what I am loving this week...

Spring has sprung!!!!  I am loving the amazing weather!!

I'm still reveling in the fact that I successfully completed the Georgia Half Marathon last weekend.  You can read about my race experience here.

I learned how to watermark my photos thanks to the tutorials posted here and here.  After reading this story, I plan to do this to all of my pictures containing people and pets from now on.  I wouldn't want anyone stealing pictures of my sweet Avery!  Plus, someday I plan to get a real camera and take really nice picture (not just iPhone pics!), so this is good practice.  I used PicMonkey.com for the watermark seen below and also on the one above this.

The Stick and my foam roller were my two best friends after my race this weekend.  They really helped me work out my tight muscles from running all those hills.  Plus, I learned a new way to loosen up my hip flexors on the foam roller, and it was magic.

PicMonkey also has some cool effects!  I used it to make this boring picture slightly more exciting.

We went to The Black Cow for dinner last night.  Hands-down the best restaurant in Columbus, GA.  Their steaks are just perfection.  And the pineapple casserole tastes like heaven.

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We're moving to North Carolina this weekend.  I have made some great friends in Columbus and I'm super sad at the thought of leaving them, but I am excited to see what exciting things our new home will bring!

This is the view right behind me.

And now for my favorite pins of the week (click the image to get to the source)...

 An excellent tip for storing pans!

How to make your own (healthier version of) sweet and sour chicken

One of my friends sent me the link to this cute skirt tutorial, and I am going to make it when we get to NC!

I think I might also make these sweet ruffled pillows for our new guest room

 

 I have been drooling over the laundry drying racks in the Ballard Design catalog, but it's expensive! When I found this DIY tutorial based on the ones that I had been wanting, I jumped for joy.

I  hope everyone has a great, sunshine-filled Wednesday!!

I Exercised Across America!!

Remember my cameo on the local news a while back?  Well, I completed my map and have officially "Exercised Across America"!!  That means that since January, I have taken at least 37 hours of fitness classes (sometimes I forgot to get my paper signed after class).  For me, this consisted of boot camp three times a week and spin class twice a week.

I actually finished last week but forgot to turn it in, so I turned it in today so that I could get my prize pack.

I got a bunch of Fort Benning stuff, like this green shirt (the back has the same logo that is on the bag)...

...a ton of plastic bracelets with motivational sayings on them...

...a sticker, and the drawstring backpack that everything came in.  This would make a great little gym bag!

And one more thing that I am actually really excited about - a Myo-Therapy Ball Plus.  Since we are moving this weekend, I decided not to inflate it just yet, so that it will be easier to pack.  If you are wondering what this ball is used for (I was when I got it!), I googled it and apparently they are used for the same purpose as a foam roller - you roll over your trigger points to relax your muscles.  I've never used one of these, but I do love the foam roller, so I think I will love this ball as well.  It looks just like this, only black.

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Who doesn't love getting free stuff?  And I also improved my fitness.  Win-win.  Thanks, Smith Gym!!

#36: Run a half marathon

I did it!!  I am SO happy to be able to check this one off of my 101 in 1001 list!

Just after crossing the finish line!

On Sunday, I ran the Publix Georgia Half Marathon in Atlanta.  It was a hot and humid day, and the course was full of hills.  It took me 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 31 seconds, and I couldn't be happier.  I was right in the middle of the pack - 412th out of the 827 women in my age group, and 4,838th out of the 9,128 total half marathon runners.  I'll take it!

I was a little nervous on the day of the race, but I knew that I was ready (read about the training program(s) I used here).  I trained hard and stuck to my program, and it definitely paid off.  Not only did I finish this race, but I am in the best shape of my life.

Getting over my pre-race jitters in the start corral.

I had three goals for this race:

Goal #1: No Walking (accomplished!!)

This was my most important goal - I wanted to run the entire race.  More than anything, I didn't want to stop and walk, even for just a few seconds of rest.  I am so proud to have accomplished this goal.  I'm not going to lie, I was a little tempted to walk on the giant hill at mile 9, but I knew that I would be so mad at myself if I gave in.  I may not have run fast for the entire race, but I was running for the whole thing, and that's all that matters.  This was definitely a mental struggle just as much as it was a physical challenge.

On a side note, it seriously killed me seeing people start walking at the 13 mile marker with a mere 0.1 miles to go!!  Who does that?!

At the Expo. I just felt like running... for the whole entire race.

Goal #2: No Pooping (accomplished!!)

Gross, I know.  I'm sure many of you are a little thrown by this one, right?  So here's a little TMI for those of you who don't know me well: Running makes me have to go poop.  Like, really bad.  As in, "FIND ME A BATHROOM NOW" really bad.  I guess this happens to a lot of people, and I am definitely one of them because it happens to me a lot.  I really really didn't want it to happen to me during this race.  I am so glad it didn't, because the lines were super long and I probably would have been frantic if I had to wait in one of them.

Plus, see all those people?  Those port-a-potties were GROSS.

Goal #3: Finish in Under 2 hours and 15 minutes (missed by a minute and a half!)

You know what??  Even though I slightly missed this goal, I'm still going to count my time as a win.

Since this was my first big race (there were over 16,000 runners total), I didn't realize how slow the start was going to be.  I did not account for this at all, and my first mile took me 12 minutes.  Even with this delay, my average pace was 10:25.  So if I adjust for that slow start and subtract the 1:35 difference, that puts me under my goal (and if you get technical, that 10:25 includes the 12 minute mile so my average pace was actually faster than 10:25... so yeah).  Also, I had NO IDEA how many hills there would be!  I definitely didn't account for that.  So all things considered, I am super pleased with my time.  I'm proud of myself.

 Andrew was proud of me too.

Recipe Recap: The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti

I successfully finished my race this morning, and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!

But first, I wanted to get in my regular Sunday recap of the new recipe I made this week.

On Wednesday night, I made The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti.  I found this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl.  This is a great collection of some of the best recipes from Ree Drummond's excellent cooking blog (these are the recipes that earned her a spot on Food Network!).  But for your convenience, the recipe is also found online here.

Alrighty, now that I've thrown out that suggestion for those of you who might be in the market for a new cookbook, let's talk about this dish.  The Pioneer Woman (or PW, for short)  is known for making hearty "cowboy food" to feed her rancher husband and their kids.  Basically, she makes food that the men in your life are sure to enjoy.  Especially if they have always wanted to be a cowboy (ahem - Andrew - ahem).  My husband really enjoyed this noodle casserole.

It's pretty simple to make - all you need are the ingredients above, plus some chicken and chicken broth.  You can even buy a rotisserie chicken and use broth from a can if you want to make it easier.  I chose to cut up a whole chicken and then boil it (the water that the chicken was cooked in was my broth).

Super easy.  You can even make it a few days ahead, refrigerate it, then bake when you are ready.  Or you can freeze it for up to 6 months.  According to PW, it freezes really well.  I didn't freeze mine, but I wish I had divided it up into two smaller casseroles - then I could have baked one and frozen one for later (the recipe makes a lot).  This is what I plan to do next time.  But the leftovers did reheat really well the next day.

Here are my notes/modifications to the original recipe.  Most of these were because I wanted to use up the things that we had instead of buying new ingredients.

• I used one can of cream of mushroom and one can cream of chicken, instead of two cans cream of mushroom.  I had an extra can of cream of chicken from when I made this soup.
• I used linguine instead of spaghetti, because I didn't have spaghetti.  This made it slightly "noodle-ier" since the linguini was thicker.  The ratio of noodles to stuff seemed just right to me!
• I didn't have any cayenne, and couldn't find any at the store, so I added some chili pepper for spice.  It was not very spicy at all (but still tasty), so maybe this is a good substitution if you feel the cayenne makes the casserole too hot.
• I used mild cheddar because the store was sold out of sharp.  It probably would have tasted better with the sharp cheddar, but it was still good.
• I wish that I had turned on the broiler at the end to brown up the cheese, since it looked pretty atomic orange after just being baked.

This tasted really good.  However, it is not exactly good food for company - especially if you are trying to impress your guests - since it looks like cat barf.  But I will make it again for Andrew and myself to enjoy!!

Looks gross, but tastes GOOD!!

Half Marathon is TOMORROW!!!

I just picked up my race bib and goodie bag and I'm ready to go! Wish me luck!!

Book 3/30 - Sula by Toni Morrison... and link to a give-away!

I have had the book Sula sitting on my bookshelf ever since I accidentally forgot to return it to my English teacher's classroom shelf my sophomore year of high school (sorry, Mrs. Burns!).  Ever since I initially borrowed it from her, I have been meaning to read it.  Finally, 11 years later, I got around to it.  I cannot believe it has been that long since high school.

Anyway, Sula was written by Toni Morrison and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.  I never imagined myself saying this about a book, but it really was beautifully written.

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Sula is essentially about what it was like being an African-American woman right after slavery ended.  The book is set in a place called "The Bottom," which is the hilltop land that the whites gave to the blacks after they were freed, because it was extremely difficult to farm there and it was not the desirable place to live.  It highlights the struggles and hardships that four women have to endure in order to survive.  For example, one woman leaves her three children with a neighbor "for a day," then returns 18 months later missing a leg, which she apparently threw beneath a train in order to secure a monthly insurance payment to raise her family.

The book is mostly about two friends - Sula and Nel, who were very close and shared a big secret.  The language and style of writing used throughout the book was so eloquent, it made a sad story beautiful.

I can see why it won the Nobel Prize.  It is also on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

It's definitely worth reading.

Also, do you like Starbucks??  Ok, who doesn't?  I guess the real question would be - would you like to win a gift card to Starbucks?  Neely at A Complete Waste of Makeup is giving away a $35 gift card.  Check it out and enter here.  You're welcome.

NOLA: People-Watching on Bourbon Street

Do you like the new look on the blog?  It's just a slight change, because I decided the chevrons in the previous background were making my eyes go weird.

Well here we are in my final New Orleans recap!  And I think I saved the best for last.  The People.  The people were wack.  (These were not the normal residents of New Orleans, mind you... just the Mardi Gras crazies).  If you enjoy people-watching (like I do), then you should enjoy this post.

First, let's talk about the masses of people in general.  There were so many bodies crammed onto one little street.  It was seriously crowded - like, someone is one trip away from being trampled crowded.

Here are some videos we made.

First, this one shows the people on the balconies who tossed beads down at the crowds on the street:

Now this one shows the crowd on the street beneath the balcony, catching the beads:

As you can see, you don't need to show your boobs to get beads.  But if you want fancy beads, then you've gotta show 'em.  I didn't get any fancy beads, if you were wondering.  But we saw other people... LOTS of other people... who did.  Sorry creepos, no pictures or video of that.  However, every time a woman flashed for beads, there were like 10 men with cameras in front of her.  I wish I had gotten a picture of all of the people taking a picture every time there were boobs.

Then there were the interesting individuals.  This is only a small glimpse of the all the crazies who were out and about on the streets of New Orleans.

First there was this guy.  Andrew made me take a picture with him.  He stopped the guy and asked him to take a picture with me, and the guy put his arm around me and started posing.  All the while, he was asking me if I would come home with him and "get in his bed."  Then he asked me if I had any money he could have.  Creepster.  I told Andrew that I didn't want to be in any more pictures with strangers after that.

Then there were these people.  Middle-aged men and women dressed as doctors and nurses selling shots out of Camelbacks on an IV stand.  Very creative.  No, we did not buy a shot from them.  Can you imagine how many germs were on the straws??

Finally, here is a video of a random dance party and their accompanying band in the street.

So basically, that is the "family friendly" version of the people I saw.  Lots of interesting characters, and those were just the PG ones.

And that's it for the New Orleans recaps!

All in all, it was a very fun trip.  My favorite part - hands-down - was the food.  If I get the chance, I'd definitely go back - but probably never again during Mardi Gras, since that was kind of a zoo.

What I'm Loving Wednesday & Oh, How Pinteresting!

It's Wednesday, so I'm linking up as usual with this kind of love for What I'm Loving Wednesday and The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting!

Here are the things that I am loving today...

I got up early this morning for my final run before my half-marathon this weekend!!  I'm on my taper so I'm not putting in serious mileage this week, but today the weather was exactly the same as it is supposed to be on my race day and I did a trial run.  I started at the same time that the race is scheduled for, wore the outfit I plan to wear at the race to see if I'd be warm enough at the start (I was), and even ate the same breakfast to see if it would upset my stomach (it didn't).  I'm feeling ready, and I'm excited!!  Avery also enjoyed starting our day with a nice run - now she can lounge all day and not feel guilty about it.

 This is what she is doing right now. I love how she sleeps with her head on the pillow - I swear she thinks she's a person.  Actually, not just a person... a princess.

I haven't been able to reply to your sweet comments lately because I just couldn't figure out how after I switched my comments to the pop-up window, but thanks to the help of Janey at A Few of My Favorite Things, I know how to reply with an e-mail - fancy!  Thanks for the help, Janey!  I feel like she is my first "blog-friend" and I am loving that as well!

Publix had some great sales this week - namely, key lime pie and breakfast bread.  I had heard that their key lime pie was pretty amazing, so I bought one... and it was.  Andrew loves key lime pie, and he agreed.  I am also really into the breakfast bread - it has apples, apricots, raisins, walnuts, cranberries, and lots of other great stuff.  I've been enjoying it toasted with some honey nut cream cheese... yum!!!

I bought a cutting mat and rotary cutter set from Joann Fabric about a month ago when they were on sale, and I used it for the first time this week.  Wow, does that thing make cutting strips SO much easier!  The mat kind of smells weird, though.

Did I mention that I'm excited for my race this weekend?!  I know I did already, but I am. Really excited.

And now for my favorite pins of the week (click the picture to get to the source)... 

Love this quote.

20 uses for used dryer sheets - I've definitely got a few of those lying around, might as well put them to good use!

Love the idea of painting on a pallet!

 

How to make your own screen prints with tape.

The desserts on Pinterest are seriously out of control.  I mean, cookie dough cheesecake bars? Yes, please!!

Have a fantastic day, everyone!!!!